Battling Monsters
by Ramica
Summary: All children have nightmares but when 3 and a half year old Rama wakes from one and can't find those she loves she begins to feel her nightmares have become real. A Rama short in the Rama series.


                                               Battling Monsters

Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adult or adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonian. I do however own Rama.

Rated- G

Author's Note: This story takes place before Waiting on Santa in the Rama series. Rama is about three and a half for this one and I tried to write it to give the feel of a young child. I don't know if I quite succeeded or not.

For those new to Rama or even ones not so new, in my profile I have now listed all Rama stories in order.

***

The small turtle child thrashed on her bed little whimpers escaping her throat suddenly she woke up a small half strangled scream of terror springing forth into the blackness around her.

She sat up quickly gulping for air her eyes penetrating into the dark corners of her room that her little nightlight did not cast its glow into. She trembled slightly from the after effects of the dream.

She searched through the tangle of sheets on her bed searching for her favourite toy she couldn't find him.

" Fankin? Fankin?" she called softly. He had been here when she went to bed daddy had tucked him in beside her when he said 'Good night' to her.

Now Franklin was gone. That frightened and disturbed her especially after her dream of being chased by a monster that wanted to eat her. Maybe the monster had tried to get her but she woke up and it got Franklin instead. She turned and cast a baleful stare at nightlight as if holding it to blame for not doing its job.

Nightlight was sposed to keep away monsters and all kinds of bad things. That was what daddy said. What daddy didn't know though was monsters were very tricky they hid in shadows and in dark scary places waiting to jump out at you.

Monsters were like that. 

Monsters were scared of her daddy though. Monsters knew they'd be in trouble if daddy caught them trying to scare her so that was why the monsters were sneaky.

Now she was quite sure that the monsters had come and taken her best friend.

" Daddy?" she called out in a little voice. She didn't dare leave her bed the monsters might get her. 

" Daddy?" she called out louder usually daddy came when she called him, she wanted him to come now and make the monsters give back Franklin. There was still no answer and she shrank against the wall of the sewer pipe.

Slowly ever so carefully she creeped over and looked over to look at the floor seeing if any monsters might be close trying to grab her now that daddy wasn't coming and they had her friend.

Then her eyes lit up as she spotted Franklin lying sprawled on the floor her arm shot out and snatched the stuffed turtle toy before shrinking back against the wall clutching him tight.

She felt better now that Franklin was with her. She had helped him from the monsters. She liked Franklin because he was like her and daddy and her uncles. Franklin was so much like them he could be family. Maybe he was family she thought that he was.

She twisted a bit in her bed suddenly feeling the urge to take care of pressing business she had to go to the washroom.

Problem was the monster had almost got Franklin if she went to go now they might grab her. Couldn't trust nightlight it had let the monsters in after all. Yet she knew she had to go!

Was it safe to try should she go for it?

She squirmed uncomfortably. It couldn't wait. She stood up on her bed and jumped as far as she could then hit the ground running her short legs carrying her out from her bedroom into the living room.

She laughed a little that she'd been able to trick the monsters.

She headed towards the light, which was left on for her to find the bathroom at night. She knew the light was left on special for her because daddy said so " We'll leave the bathroom light on for you Rama so you won't get hurt at night when you're going there."

Which proved that daddy had to know the monsters were waiting patiently hiding in the dark to hurt her. Daddy knew light scared the monsters and kept them away.

Daddy knew all kinds of things.

Rama sat Franklin on the edge of the sink and when she was done she went to go back to her bedroom. She stopped though in the doorway of the bathroom.

She thought about going back to her room and the monsters that waited there for her to return. Monsters didn't like being tricked.

She glanced towards daddy's room. She would go in there and wake daddy instead. She went to his room and saw the darkness in his room, but she didn't see daddy.

" Daddy" she said quite loudly.

When he didn't answer she walked to his bed and noticed he wasn't in it.

The monsters weren't in daddy's room they stayed in her room because they didn't like daddy but if the monsters knew that daddy wasn't here and she was they would come in here to get her. Just like they almost got Franklin.

Rama scowled it was strange to not find Daddy in bed sleeping when he should be. Strange that daddy didn't hear her or come when she called. She cuddled Franklin closer " Where daddy fankin?"

Maybe Franklin knew maybe he would tell her if she listened very carefully to him.

Dojo of course daddy might be there.

She looked towards the dojo on the other side of the living room across a big dark black space. Rama trembled not sure if she wanted to go to dojo when the monsters might get her.

Dojo was the place her daddy and uncles would practice with pretend fights against one another. Sometimes they used their weapons, which hurt. That was what daddy said " Rama no touching weapons you might get hurt. Respect the weapons."

She stayed where she was hoping the monsters wouldn't get brave enough to grab her then in the dark she saw the lamp and went to it turning it on by one touch.

The lamp's light was strong enough it would keep the monsters away.

She was pretty sure she heard the monsters shrieking and scampering away as the light filled the room.

 She was safe now for the moment and she could make it to dojo without fear now but as she entered the dojo she saw that no one was in there. 

A forlorn whimper escaped Rama's throat as she saw daddy wasn't here either. Where was daddy?

She was starting to get very scared and clutched Franklin tight. Then she thought of the kitchen.

Daddy spent lots and lots of time in kitchen making treats and other things. She cheered up of course daddy had to be in kitchen. She turned and ran towards kitchen turning on the kitchen light half expecting some delicious treat waiting for her but daddy wasn't there.

" DADDY!" she called out now close to tears. He wasn't anywhere. Daddy was gone. In a wild panic she tore to Raphie's room. Raphie would know where daddy was. She entered her uncle's room yelling " Raphie!"

Raphie didn't answer because Raphie wasn't there. 

Now Rama did start to cry this was not something she was used to. She whipped around and went to Leo's room only to find he was gone too.

Her small face twisted as she ran back to the living room and flopped face down on the couch crying loudly.

She was all alone. Everyone was gone. The monsters from her dream must have some how got them and had then come for Franklin and her. No one not even the light could hold the monsters at bay now. She was scared she would never see daddy again and what would she do?

She huddled in a small ball on the couch crying and holding Franklin close as if her very life depended on it.

It had to be the monsters! And Rama was more terrified then she had ever been.

" Ramiela what is the matter child?" came a soft gentle voice she knew.

She looked up her tear stained face looking into the gentle whiskery face of Splinter.

" Daddy gone. Monsers. Raphie gone all gone" Rama wailed between tears and sniffs.

Splinter came around the couch and pulled the tiny turtle child onto his lap feeling her body tremble and shake violently as she continued to cry. He sighed the poor child must have had a nightmare and then became more distressed when she couldn't find those she loved.

He picked her up and took her to the rocking chair one hand taking a tissue to wipe her eyes and face, the other hand stroking her dark short hair and back in hopes of comforting her.

" Your father and uncles have only gone out for awhile Ramiela they will soon be home."

" No Piner. Monsers gots daddy." Rama insisted she knew monsters could do things like that. Monsers like in that movie with the rabbit in it.

She buried her face in the old rat's kimono clinging tight to him she had lost every one else she wasn't going let him go.

" I promise you Ramiela the monsters will not be able to hold your daddy they will come home child."

Ramiela's sobs were slowing down and turning to hiccups as she continued to cling tight to Splinter.

Splinter shook his head he could recall his own sons waking him with terrified screams. He knew too that many dreams were very realistic and made it hard to tell what was real and what wasn't. The child needed something to calm her down or she wouldn't be going to sleep any time soon.

Splinter packed her to the kitchen and got her some cheese and crackers to nibble on while he warmed some milk in a saucepan and boiled some water. When the milk was warm but not hot he poured it into a mug and added a bit of honey to it. Then made himself some tea.

He gave Rama her drink and sat down beside her to nibble the snack. 

He watched as she seemed to calm down a bit and hopefully the warm milk did its bit to make her sleepy.

When she finished her drink he smiled " Now back to bed."

" No Piner monsers" she whimpered immediately. 

Splinter sighed it looked like it might take a little longer so he went and retrieved a colouring book and container of crayons from her room. 

" Why don't you colour something nice for daddy?"

Rama sniffed a bit then nodded as she took an orange crayon into a chubby fist.

She was almost done her picture when she heard the door open and close.

" Daddy!" she squealed dropping her crayon and running to greet him.

A little scream burst from her though when she saw her daddy and Uncles they had been hurt and had lots of owwies on them. Owwies were any thing that made you go ow, ow. Even she knew that.

" It's all right Rama I'm okay" Mike soothed knowing how he must look to her.

Rama scowled that was daddy's voice but with all his owwies she couldn't be sure if it was really him or not so she ducked behind Splinter in case it was only a tricky monster trying to get her.

" A rough night my sons?"

 " Yeah" Leo agreed saying no more after glancing at his niece.

" What are you doing out of bed my Rama llama ding dong?"

Only daddy called her that. 

" It seems she has had a rough night of her own Michaelangelo I think she had a bad dream and when she could not find you or the others she felt that you had been taken by monsters.

I was woken up by the sound of her crying on the couch and have been trying to calm her down," Splinter explained.

Rama peeked around Splinter " Daddy?" she was now quite sure it was him in spite of how he looked.

" Hey baby you get scared?"

" Yeah" she agreed coming out in the open " Daddy hurt?"

" Oh I just need a few band aids" Mike replied making light of his many injuries he didn't want to frighten her.

" Kiss beter daddy?" Rama knew that when daddy kissed her it made her feel lots better. She wanted to make daddy better.

" Sure you can come kiss me better" Mike said kneeling on the ground.

Rama came forward and wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a slobbery kiss on his cheek.

" Thanks honey I feel so much better now."

She knew it would work it always did with her.

" Luv you daddy."

" Aren't I the luckiest turtle in the world?" Mike beamed, " I love you too Rama Now go on get to bed and I'll come tuck you in, in a minute."

Rama shook her head she wasn't ready to go back to her room and face the monsters just yet.

Daddy only smiled " On second thought Rama why not get a story book from your room and go into my bed. I'll be there in a bit."

" Okay daddy. Fankin too?" she asked a grin coming to her face.

" Of course Franklin too" Mike agreed.

A few minutes later she was snuggled close to daddy in his bed as he read to her.

She gave a big yawn and looked up at him through droopy eyes.

She knew monsters went out at night. Daddy went out at night too because he was ninja. Ninja also liked night but while monsters were mean and scary ninja weren't. Ninja were good. She knew that because her daddy and uncles were nice and good and they were all ninja.

Maybe ninja went out at night to fight the bad monsters. Maybe that was how daddy got hurt and maybe that was why her daddy and uncles had to take hurt weapons with them they used the weapons on the bad monsters. The monsters didn't like daddy because of it.

One day she wanted to be ninja to chase away monsters.

Mike looked down a few seconds later and saw Rama was sleeping curled up close by he tucked the blankets closer around her and gave her a kiss on the forehead before lying down to sleep himself.

The End


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